Combination lock for luggage



Sept. 11, 1962 w. BADOUD COMBINATION LOCK FOR LUGGAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1959 0 W mu m 9. H

Sept. 11, 1962 w. BADOUD 3,053,071

COMBINATION LOCK FOR LUGGAGE Filed Nov. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,053,071 COMBINATIQN LOCK FOR LUGGAGE William Badoud, 39, Ave. Montchoisi, Lausanne, Switzerland Filed Nov. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 854,768 Claims priority, application Switzerland Mar- 19, 1959 15 Claims. (Cl. 70-74) Difierent kinds of combination locks and padlocks with an opening device through assigned fixed members are known. The said locks present disadvantages which render them unsuitable for the closing of modern luggage such as suitcases, small trunks, attache cases, etc. Among these disadvantages, mention must be made of the bulky shape of known locks, the volume and excessive weight of which often require the cutting out of the material constituting the luggage in order to house therein a portion of the said Volume, the said operation necessitating costly fixing and an increase in the weight of the luggage. Such locks also include a complicated device for changing the combination; they oifer reduced safety and their cost is high.

The present invention has for an object a lock which eliminates the foregoing disadvantages. The said lock fundamentally comprises a lock-plate provided with elements for securing the lock to the body of one of the said articles and provided with an opening into which the staple of a hasp is adapted to penetrate, the staple being secured to the folding part or closure of the article, a plate at least partly closing the said lock-plate, a pivoting bolt the nose of which, projecting inside the said opening in its closed position, is adapted to penetrate into the opening of the staple of the said hasp, a spring member adapted to normally hold the said bolt in the closed position, a movable latch having at least one abutment tongue and cooperating with the said bolt so that any movement imparted to the latch causes an angular displacement of the said bolt, at least one knurled dial bearing a series of signs corresponding to a series of positions of the said dial, the latter being adapted to rotate a latching disc having an opening or notch which may be placed, in one of the positions designated by the signs on the dial, opposite the said abutment tongue, in which position the said tongue may enter the said opening, permitting movement of the latch, a flexible device for marking the different positions which may be given to the said dial, and an operating knob adapted to impart, against the action of the spring member, a movement to the said latch and, consequently, occasion the withdrawal of the bolt. The lock according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it further comprises, with a View to changing the relative position of the dial with respect to the latching disc and, consequently, the combination of the lock, means for freeing the said dial so that it may be rotatably displaced relative to the latching disc, which latter is maintained in position by the abutment tongue, the said means being constructed in such a way that they are controlled by the said operating knob.

Preferably, the said dial comprises means which may be in engagement with a driving member integral with the latching disc and removable under the action of a device driven by means of the operating knob.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, one embodiment of the lock according to the invention, adapted to close a suit-case.

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the lock.

FIG. 2 is also a view in elevation, on a larger scale, with a part broken away and with a section along line 2-2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the lock along line 33 of FIG. 2.

3,653,?1 Patented Sept. 11, 11962 2 FIG. 4 is a cross section of the lock along line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation with a section along line 5-5 of FIG. 4. r

The lock shown in the drawings includes a lock-plate 1, of rectangular shape, and a plate 2, the two said elements being joined together by any suitable means and' placed inside a case 3 which, in its turn, is made integral with the whole formed by the plate 2 and the lock-plate 1. The latter comprises four fastening legs 4 which are adapted to pass through the wall of the suit-case (not shown) and then be folded back against the opposite face of the said wall. The lock comprises a bolt 5 capable of pivoting about a spindle 6 integral with the plate 2. The bolt 5, shaped like an inverted 0, includes a bolt nose 7 which may project inside the staple of a hasp 9 fixed to the folding cover of the suit-case. The bolt 5 is further provided, at its other end, with a flange 10 hearing against a curved portion 11 provided on a movable latch 12 (FIG. 5) disposed against the plate 2. A spring 13, wound around the spindle 6, bearing on the one hand against the edge 1% of the bolt and, on the other hand, against a curved portion 11 of the latch, tends constantly and automatically to hold the latch 12 and the bolt 5 in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, in which the bolt nose is completely within the opening 8.

The latch 12, interposed between the plate 2 and the bolt 5, is constituted by a plate of sheet-metal cut out so as to provide four tongues 14 (FIG. 5), each of said tongues being capable of penetrating into a radial groove or notch 15 made in a latching disc 16 for the lock. Each of the four discs 16 is provided in its rear part with a central pivot 17 engaging in a cavity 18 in the plate 2. The front part of each disc 16 includes a hollow journal 19 having a cross-slot 20 which only leaves two halfmoon shaped parts from the section of the journal 19. The front part of the said journal is engaged in the untral bore of a dial 21 bearing, on the periphery of its upper face, a series of equidistant signs 22, for example numbers from O to 9.

Each of the latching discs is further provided on its periphery with shallow equidistant slots 23 into each of which may partly penetrate one of the tongues 14 of the latch 12;. The said shallow slots, of no use in the operation of the lock, are designed to baffle all attempts to discover the combination.

The dials 21 are disposed in pairs with a pair adjacent to each of the side edges of the lock, that is, two dials on either side of the case, the axis of each of them being situated in the corner of a square. Openings made laterally in the case uncover a portion of each dial in such a way that only one sign 22 carried by the said dials is visible at a time (FIG. 1). On the periphery of its inner face, each dial 21 is provided with equidistant radial notches 24-, each corresponding to one of the signs 22. The notch corresponding to the first of the signs marked on the dial, for example the number 0, is arranged in such a way that it causes the stopping by abutment of any turning movement imparted in a definite direction to the said dial, the said arrangement permitting the operation thereof, from the said abutment in the opposite direction of turning without visual aid. The positioning of the said dials with respect to each of the signs which they carry is realized by means of elastic detent tongues 25 the end of which is designed to engage each of the notches 24. The said tongues are integral with an intermediate plate 216 held between the two constituents of the case of the lock, the said plate being, on the other hand, provided with bores for guiding the journals 19 of the discs 16.

In order to be able to change the combination which allows the lock to be opened, a device is provided which permits changing the relative position of each of the dials 21 with respect to the corresponding latching disc 16. The said device comprises primarily a driving or clutch disc 27 the central part of which is provided with openings corresponding to the section of the front part of the journal and a spring bearing against the center of the driving disc 27 which tends to maintain the driving disc in contact with the rear face of the dial 21 to form, in effect, a clutch. Each of the driving discs 27 is further provided with projections 29 which may penetrate into holes '30 in each of the dials 21 and distributed over a circumference concentric with the central bore of the latter and corresponding to the numbers on said dial.

On the front face of each of the driving discs 27 a ball 31 is partly housed in the cavity of the journal 19. The said ball 31 forming a cam follower is engaged in an aperture 32 having sloping sides providing a cam surface in plate 33 which may pivot about spindle 34 fixed with respect to the plate 2 (FIG. 2).

The freeing of each of the dials 241 is effected by imparting angular movement to the said plate 33 about its spindle having the effect of camming the ball to compress spring 28. Opposite to the ball 31, the aperture 32 is then replaced by a flat zone, thus bringing about, against the action of the spring 28, the movement of the said ball into the cavity of the journal 19 and, as a result, the disengagement of the driving disc from the dial 21. The projections 29 of the driving disc are no longer engaged in the holes 36 of the dial and the latter may be freely moved relative to the latching disc 16.

The angular movement imparted to the plate '33 is controlled by means of an operating knob 35 also designed to control the opening movement of the bolt 5. The said knob comprises a rod 36 passing through the cover case and the lock-plate due to an elongated opening 37. The end of the said rod 36 is fixed to the portion 12 of the latch 12 with a view to imparting to the latter a movement in the direction of the arrow F (FIG. 1) against the action of the spring 13. Of course, this movement can only take place if the dials 21 are all placed in such a way that the number of the combination is formed, in other words, the slot 15 in each of the latching discs 16 must be placed opposite the respective abutment tongue 14. \Any movement of the latch causing a pivoting of the bolt, the nose of the bolt withdraws from. the opening 8 when the rod 36 of the knob 35 is at the lower end of the groove 37.

In order to pivot the plate 33, the knob ismoved in a different direction to that followed by the said knob when it is a question of bringing about the opening movement of the bolt. To this end, the elongated opening '37 is provided with a branch '38 perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and connecting with the said opening 37 adjacent to its lower end. The rod 36 of the knob, passing through the plate 33 due to an elongated opening 39 in the latter, drives the said plate when it is pushed into the branch 38 of the said opening. At the end of its travel, the knob 35 has brought the plate 33 into a position such that the apertures 32 are at a certain dis tance from the balls 31, which latter are then completely withdrawn into the cavity of the journal 19.

In order to mark the two'positions of the knob 35 in the branch 38 of the opening, the part 12 of the latch has a second hole 40 placed next to the hole 41 in which is located the rod 36 when it is placed in the opening 37. The hole 41 is cut into by the first so as to form two rounded angles the apex of which separates the two positi-ons which may be given :to the knob 35. The latter is positioned by inserting the rod 36 in the hole 49, appreciably larger than the hole 41. The said rod has an annular groove 42 opposite the section'of the past 12 bringing the section of the rod to a diameter slightly less than that of the hole 4-1. When the knob 35 is' placed.

the portion v12 of the latch and held against any axial movement by the sides of the groove 42. In order to move the knob 35 to the bottom of the branch 38 of the opening 37, it is necessary to overcome a certain resistance caused by the passage of the rod 36 in the constriction included between the apices of the two rounded angles. When the knob is in position at the bottom of the branch 38 of the said opening 37, it is also held against any untimely axial movement by the elastic action of the spring 13 which constantly tends to push the edge of the hole it? to the bottom of the groove 42.

The disposition of the opening of the branch 38 of the groove 37 has for its purpose, on the one hand, to fix the latching discs 16 when the combination is changed. When the knob 35 is inserted in the branch 33 of the groove, it maintains the latch in the open position, in which the tongues 14 are engaged in the notches 15 of the said discs. On the other hand, the said disposition prevents any change in the combination if one is not aware of the old combination because the lock must be previously opened when a change in the number is considered.

The operation of the lock according to the invention is as follows:

It is assumed that the number of the combination is 5803 (FIG. 1). Adopting, for example, a clockwise rotation, the dials 21 are placed in their respective positions so that the notches 15 of each of the latching discs are placed opposite the tongues 14. The dials are immobilized in the chosen position through the engagement of the elastic tongues 25 in the corresponding notches 24. By vertically lowering the operating knob 35, the rod 36, integral with the part 12 of the latch, drives, against the action of the spring 13, the said latch together with its four tongues 14 which penetrate into their respective notches 15. During this operation, the edge of the bolt, bearing against the curved part 11 of the latch, pivots about the spindle 6 and frees the staple of the hasp 9 through the withdrawal of the nose of the bolt from the opening 8. By releasing the operating knob, the spring 13 automatically restores the bolt to its original position and, consequently, the tongues 14 are freed from the notches 15 of the discs .16 which may then be operated by means of the dials 21.

In order to change the combination of the lock, the existing number, that is 5803 in the present example, is formed and then the operating knob is lowered to the bottom of the groove 37. In this posit-ion, the said knob is then pushed into the branch 38 of the said groove, causing the plate 33 to pivot about the spindle 34. The said plate is then in the position shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. 2. This movement of the plate 33 produces a c amming thrust against the balls 31 which are pressed into the cavity of the journal -19 so as to effect, against the action of the springs 28, the disengagement of the driving discs 27 and the release of the dials 21. The latter can then be rotated freely relative to their respective latching discs, which latter are held in position by the tongues-14 of the latch 12. The new number of the combination is then formed by rotation of the dials 21 and the knob 35 is restored to its initial position.

It is obvious that the invention has only been described by way of example and that various modifications of details could be brought thereto without departing from its scopes.

What I claim is:

l. A combination lock, particularly for travelling and fancy leather articles such as brief cases and the like, said lock being of the type comprising a lock-plate provided with elements for securing the lock to a fixed part of a brief case and provided with an opening into which the staple of a hasp' secured to the brief case closure is adapted to penetrate, a second plate at least partly enclosing said lock-plate, a bolt pivotably mounted between said lock-plate and second plate having a nose in the closed position of the lock adapted .to penetrate into the opening of the staple of the said hasp positioned in said opening, an elastic member adapted to hold said bolt projected in the closed position of said lock, a movable latch having at least one abutment tongue and cooperating with said bolt so that any movement imparted to the latch from its normal lock closed position causes an angular displacement of said :bolt, at least one dial bearing a series of signs corresponding to a series of positions of said dial, a latching disc including a journal coaxial of said dial and having an opening which may be placed in agreement with one of the positions designated by the signs on the dial opposite said abutment tongue in such a position that said tongue may be engaged in said opening thus permitting movement of the latch from its normal lock closed position, clutch means drivingly connecting said dial and said latching disc, an elastic detent device for accurately locating the different positions which may be given to the dial, and an operating knob connected to said latch and adapted to impart, against the action of the elastic member, a movement to said latch and thereby occasion the withdrawal of the bolt.

2. A combination lock according to claim 1, in which said clutch means includes a driving member in engagement with said latching disc, said driving member being movable axially with respect to said disc, and a device including a plate under the action of which said axially movable member is moved axially out of engagement with said dial, said plate being operatively engaged by said operating knob.

3. A combination lock according to claim 2, in which said dial has a series of openings, at least one projection on the driving member adapted to penetrate one of said openings, spring means to bias said driving member toward said dial, a pusher element extending axially from the center of the dial and capable of being moved axially against the action of the spring means by movement of the plate, the movement of said pusher element by said plate causing the withdrawal of the driving member and the release of the dial for rotation with respect to said latching disc.

4. A combination lock according to claim 3, in which the pusher which controls the movement of the driving member is constituted by a ball placed on the said driving member and projecting from the center of the said journal.

5. A combination lock according to claim 2, in which the lock-plate includes an opening with two branches for the passage of the rod of the operating knob of which the first branch is adapted to guide the movement of said knob for moving the latch and the bolt, the second of said branches perpendicular to the first located near the end of the first branch being adapted to guide said knob dur ing its movement to move said plate.

6. A combination lock according to claim 5, in which said plate is provided with an elongated opening forming a loose connection in which said operating knob is adapted to move in moving the latch and the bolt, said opening being in alignment with the first branch of said opening when the plate is in the normal position, and out of alignment with said second branch, whereby any movement of said rod in the second of said branches causes said plate to move.

7. A combination lock according to claim 5, in which said latch may be provided, opposite the two-branched opening in the lock-plate, with a part provided with two circular openings, one cutting into the other so as to form a rounded angle the apex of which separates the two positions which may be given to the knob when it is engaged in the second branch of said opening.

8. A combination lock according to claim 7, in which the circular openings on said latch have different diameters, the first, placed opposite the end of the second branch of said opening, having a suilicient diameter to permit the passage of the rod of the operating knob, while the second is appreciably smaller, said rod having a groove permitting movement of the knob in said latter opening in which it is held against any axial movement when it is placed in the first branch of said opening.

9. A combination lock according to claim 1, in which the journal is hollow and is provided with a notch, and which includes a driving member including means to engage said dial extending diametrically through said notch, and a spring in said hollow journal seated at one end against said latching disc and at the other end against said driving member to bias said driving member toward said dial.

10. A combination lock according to claim 9, in which said driving member is constituted by a disc, the central part of which is engaged in the notch provided in the hollow journal, said disc having on its face at least one button which may engage said dial.

11. A combination lock according to claim 1, in which said elastic detent device comprises an intermediat plate mounted between the lock-plate and the second plate, and said dial is provided with notches, said intermediate plate comprising at least one elastic tongue the end of which is adapted to engage said notches in said dial, each notch corresponding to one of the signs carried by said dial.

12. A combination lock according to claim 11, in which the notch corresponding to the first of the signs marked on said dial is formed in such a way that it causes stopping of the rotational movement imparted to the dial in one direction to provide for operating said dial without visual aid by counting the notches that contact said tongue as it is turned in the other direction.

13. A combination lock according to claim 1, further comprising means for freeing the said dial for rotation with respect to said latching disc so that it may be rotatably displaced relative to the latching disc, while said latching disc is held against rotation by said abutment tongue, said means being constructed in such a way as to disengage said clutch means, said means for freeing said dial being controlled by said operating knob.

14. A combination lock according to claim 1, in which the pivot of the latching disc is constituted by a conical protuberance projecting from the face of said disc, and a depression of the same shape to receive said protuberance.

15. A combination lock according to claim 1, in which the end of the bolt opposite the nose of the bolt comprises an abutment in contact with a projection on the movable latch, and wherein said elastic member comprises a spring constantly biasing the latch, and consequently the bolt, toward the closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,982 Schoonmaker Feb. 27, 1883 1,052,627 Takimoto Feb. 11, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS 289,305 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1928 609,342 Great Britain Sept. 29', 1948 1,045,643 France July 1, 1953 

